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Sartre's Existentialist Viewpoint in No Exit

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Sartre's Existentialist Viewpoint in No Exit International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL) Volume 1, Issue 3 (September 2013), PP 15-23 ISSN 2347-3126 (Print) & ISSN 2347-3134 (Online) www.arcjournals.org Sartre’s Existentialist Viewpoint in No Exit Akram Amiri Senejani, Applied Sciences University Professor [email protected] Abstract: This paper attempts to render a Sartrean existentialistic analysis of No Exit. Although drama was only a small part of Jean Paul Sartre’s remarkable oeuvre that included the central texts of French existentialism- the philosophical movement that he named and spearheaded- in the forms of novels, essays, and an almost continual stream of articles, Sartre is unique among philosophers in illustrating his ideas in literary works. Of his nine plays No Exit is centrally important both as a crucial text applying the philosophical precepts that dominated the post World War II era and as a formulation of a new kind of drama that significantly influenced the theater in the second half of the 20th century. No Exit is one of philosophy’s most profound contributions to the theater and all of Samuel Beckett’s major plays, and by extension the theater of the absurd, ultimately derive from it. No Exit therefore commands attention as a vehicle for its influential ideas and its dramatic methods that established possibilities for the drama. No Exit and the ideas that gave birth to it derived from Sartre’s attempt to make sense of the moral and metaphysical implications of the German occupation of France during World War II. Although Sartre is most well known for his straightforward philosophical analysis in Being and Nothingness, his arguments and theories are conveniently summarized in his novels, short stories, and plays. No Exit was written one year after Being and Nothingness. As a result, many of the themes and symbolism in the play support Sartre’s arguments in the larger and longer philosophical work. Keywords: Philosophy, Existentialism, Existence, Sartre’s concepts 1. INTRODUCTION In philosophy, the terms “exist” and “existence” denote something active rather than passive and thus are closely dependent on the Latin root ex „out‟+ sister from star „to stand‟. The term existentialism means „pertaining to existence‟ (Cuddon, 1979:251). Marcel Gabriel (1889-1973) was a distinguished French playwright and music critic as well as philosopher. It was he who coined the term „existentialism‟, although he was reluctant to be a Christian existentialist (Craig, 1998). Existentialism is associated with the family of philosophers, Jean Paul Sartre and Simon de Beauvoir, who gathered there in Paris at the end of World War II, after the liberation of Paris. The mood is one of enthusiasm, creativity, anguished self-analysis, and freedom. It is linked with the problems of the day, and invites the subsequent generation to view them as having the currency of yesterday‟s news. It is as old as philosophy itself, because it addresses the issues that matter most in people‟s lives. It is also as current as the human condition it examines. Kaufman (1956:12) manifests the heart of existentialism as: The refusal to belong to any school of thought, the repudiation of the adequacy of any body of beliefs whatever, and especially of systems, and a marked dissatisfaction with traditional philosophy as superficial, academic, and remote from life- that is the heart of existentialism. Existentialism is a philosophy about the concrete individual. By accepting the responsibility for our actions, we would be existential individuals. This is also Nietzsche‟s advice to become what you are. Many people reject this responsibility and never acknowledge it. In other words, they evade their existential individuality. It is not novel and unprecedented in the West, but it extends back at least to Socrates. Its focus is on the proper way of acting rather than on a set of theoretical truth. The message of existentialism, unlike many academic philosophical movements is very simple and clear. Its message is that individuals are responsible for what they have done, for who they are, for how and in what way they face and deal with the world, and ultimately responsible for the way the world is. Existentialism is the philosophy of no excuse as Sartre declares. We ©ARC Page | 15 Akram Amiri Senejani cannot shift our burden to God, or nature. If God exists, we choose to believe, if nature shows us the way of life, it is up to us to show what we do. The notion in existentialism is that, man spends his life changing his essence. There is not any objective form of truth, but the truth is formed by personal choice. Existentialism does not support the following concepts: first, wealth and honor make a good life; secondly, social values control an individual. Thirdly, acceptance of what happens to us, and never try to change it. Fourthly, science makes life better. What is important in existentialism is that, human being is free and his nature is made through his choice. According to Sartre (Flynn, 2006:12) “the fundamental choice man makes and gives direction to his life, is made by reflecting his previous life up to present. In other words we‟ve already made our choice implicitly”. The best individual is the one who struggles for his life. Decisions made by individual are not without consequences. While many philosophers criticize our feeling and emotions, existentialists put great significance on such emotions as anguish, anxiety and dread. Soren Kierkegaard has an unconditional commitment, an infinite passion for something finite. For Kierkegaard, the infinite passion can be legitimately called infinite because it opens up a world. Not only what actually exists gets its meaning from its connection with the defining passion, but also anything that could possibly come into experience would get its meaning from one‟s defining commitment. This emphasis on emotions links them to artists who care for our emotional and imaginative lives. This relation between existentialism and fine arts, makes existentialism a solely movement for some critics. Existential ideas come to focus after a deep sense of despair following World War II and the Great Depression. Kierkegaard, Jasper, and Marcel are religious philosophers or theists, while Sartre, Camus, De Beauvoir and Heidegger are atheists, and Nietzsche an antichristian. All believe that human life is not complete, and satisfying. Every individual experiences suffering and loss, due mainly to his lack of power and control over his life. However they believe that although life is not satisfying, it has meaning. Existentialism is the root of Absurdism. Like existentialism that deals with human life or existence, his condition, freedom, responsibility, as well as passions like anxiety and dread, Absurdism is the offspring of existentialism. It designates the meaninglessness of man‟s life. Absurd, as Esslin (1968:23) comments means “out of harmony in a musical context”. In common usage absurd means ridiculous. Ionesco (Esslin, 1968:23) in an essay on Kafka defines absurd as “devoid of purpose…cut off from his religious, metaphysical, and transcendental roots, man is lost. All his actions become senseless, absurd, and useless”. The sense of anguish or anxiety about the meaninglessness, and absurdity of human condition as Esslin (1968:24) declares is: Broadly speaking the theme of the plays of Becket, Adamove, Ionesco, Genet and other writers like Pinter and Albee is about absurdism, like existentialism it depicts the inadequacy of rational approach by the open abandonment of rational devices and discursive thought.Although the theories advanced by different existentialist writers diverge widely in many important respects, so that it would be misleading to speak of a philosophical school or movement, certain underlying concepts can be singled out as the characteristics of existentialism. There are five basic concepts that the existentialist appropriates each in his or her own way. Rather than constituting a strict definition of existentialist, they depict more of a family resemblance among these philosophers: 1. Existence precedes essence: what you are (your essence) is the result of your choices (your existence) rather than the reverse. 2. Time is of the essence: We are fundamentally time-bound beings. Unlike measurable, clock time, lived time is qualitative: the „not yet‟, and the „present‟ differ among themselves in meaning and value. 3. Humanism:Existentialism is a person-centered philosophy. 4. Freedom/responsibility: in existentialism existence precedes essence, so man has no predetermined nature. 5. Ethical considerations are paramount: though each existentialist understands the ethical, as with freedom, in his or her own way, the underlying concern is to invite us to examine the authenticity of our personal lives and of our society. International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL) Page | 16 Sartre’s Existentialist Viewpoint In No Exit Western philosophical tradition is based on the classical assumption that essence precedes existence. This view diverts our attention from this imperfect world. Sartre (Wicks,2006:212) concerning the otherworldliness inherent in this view maintains: What do we mean by saying that existence precedes essence? We mean that man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world and defines himself afterwards. If man as the existentialist sees him is not definable, it is because to begin with he is nothing. He will not be anything until later, and then he will be what he makes of himself. Thus there is no human nature…Man simply is…Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself. That is the first principle of existentialism. On 29 October, 1945 Jean Paul Sartre delivered a lecture entitled Is Existentialism a Humanism? His lecture defines the crucial tenets of Sartrean existentialism, the claim that existence precedes essence. Based on this lecture our freedom is the ultimate value of our existence that we seek earnestly, and that each individual is alone to create his own values and universe that is devoid of any moral order to guide individuals.
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